My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

Brazil
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil was discovered by the Portuguese Navigator Pedro Alvares
Cabral in 1500. My wife and I have travelled to Brazil a few
times. We have visited a few cities, including São Paulo, the most
populated city in the Southern Hemisphere and the country’s
business and financial center. It’s a huge city with lots of people.
The first time we visited that extremely busy city, there was no
subway. We had to wait, sometimes an hour, to catch a taxi.
Today, it’s still a crazy city, but much more organized, similar to a
large American metropolis.
Salvador da Bahia is also known as the Brazilian capital of
happiness due to its easygoing 80% population of Black African
ancestry and countless popular outdoor activities, including the
street Carnival, Mardi gras. It is also known for its cuisine, music,
folklore and architecture. We found it to be a fascinating colorful
city, with beautiful churches, monuments and beaches.
My wife and I had always wanted to visit Florianopolis the capital
of Santa Catarina, because we knew that’s where many
Azorean/Portuguese people emigrated in the 18 th and 19 th
centuries. It’s a beautiful city with an Azorean flavor, in its music,
folklore and cuisine. They still maintain Portuguese street names
and the houses are very similar to the ones their ancestors lived,
prior to settling in Brazil. We visited an interesting museum which
displayed many Azorean artifacts. We had a marvelous time
swimming in their many beautiful white sandy beaches.
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